Archives of Irish America Collection on the Ancient Order of Hibernians

The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) is a Catholic, Irish American fraternal Organization founded in New York City in 1836. The Order traces its roots back to similar societies that existed in Ireland for over 300 years beginning in the mid-16th century. While the AOH now resides in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, the United States AOH is a separate and much larger organization.

Like its early Irish predecessors, the AOH was formed to protect the welfare of its Irish-Catholic members. On May 4, 1836, the AOH in America was founded at New York's St. James Church by men emulating these Irish societies, to protect the clergy and churches from the violent American nativists who attacked Irish Catholic immigrants and Church property. At the same time the vast influx of Irish Immigrants fleeing Ireland's Great Hunger in the late 1840's prompted a growth in many Irish societies in the USA - the largest of which was and continues to be the AOH.

Active across the United States, the Order seeks to aid the newly-arrived Irish, both socially and economically. The many Divisions and club facilities located throughout the U.S. have traditionally been among the first to welcome new Irish immigrants. Here, the Irish culture -- art, dance, music, and sports are fostered and preserved. The AOH has been at the forefront of issues concerning the Irish, such as immigration reform, economic incentives (both domestic and in Ireland), the human rights issues addressed in the MacBride Legislation, Right-To-Life, and a peaceful and just solution to the issues that divide Ireland.

The AOH in America is partitioned into Divisions, County Boards, and State Boards, and is governed by a National Board elected every two years. The Division is the basic unit in the Order, and membership in a Division is membership in the Order. Even County, State, and National Officers, maintain membership in a local Division. Annual dances, concerts, and parades sponsored by all levels of the Order raise millions for charity, while providing a showcase for the positive contributions of the Irish to every walk of American life.

The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians is an associate organization of the AOH but was not officially recognized until 1894 in Omaha, Nebraska. The LAOH recognizes values and missions similar to AOH, and they often conduct activities together. Originally called the "Daughters of Erin," the LAOH has changed names several times up to 1984 when it became the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Sources:

http://www.aoh.com/pages/about.html

http://www.ladiesaoh.com./whoarewe.html